((I'd like to thank guest user Paparoxi for reviewing recently and getting me to write again, under threat of being shanked if I didn't update soon (which I thought was hilarious by the way). I haven't written anything for a little while, it was a block. I'm on vacation right now, but it's boring me to death so I started writing this instead of talking to family. You're welcome! :D))

"What the bloody hell was that?" Arthur yelled, gesturing wildly to where the SUV drove away from.

"It's a long story," Alfred replied, looking rather tired and unwilling to answer.

The shorter crossed his arms over his chest and growled, "Don't give me that shit."

Blue eyes lit up with a hint of a smile as their owner chuckled, "It's been a while since I've had your temper around. Fine, I'll tell you. Let's get your stuff inside first."

Alfred walked around to the trunk and popped it. He gave one of the duffels to Arthur, took one himself, then shut the trunk and led him inside. Arthur looked around, noting all the small changes in the house he'd spent most of his afternoons and weekends at all through high school. The subtle shift in where furniture was, where he put things, how everything was clean. It was all filed away into his brain as he scanned the environment, he needed to remember this for when he left again.

"Tea?"

The bushy-browed young man's gaze snapped back to Alfred as he stammered, "Uh, yeah, I mean, if you have any."

The taller man handed the second duffel over and walked to the kitchen as he said, "You can put your stuff in the guest bedroom."

Arthur walked his bags back to the bedroom as his friend fixed his drink. When he returned from stuffing his clothes in the drawers and putting the rest of his things away, there was a steaming mug of tea on the kitchen table, across from where Alfred was sitting with a mug of coffee. The sitting man smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

After the emerald-eyed man sat down, Alfred sighed and began, "When the Heroes were disbanded, two rival gangs moved into the area, creating the same border war that happened before we took over. They're the Waywards and the Reds.

"The leader of the Reds is this guy with dark hair and eyes named Lloyd. He's got glasses, and of all the times I've seen him, he's worn formal clothes. Like suits and sweater vests and stuff. It's kinda weird for someone in his position. He's this calculating little bastard that calls me every week.

"The leader of the Waywards, you just met. His name is Ian, and he's the most annoying little shit I've ever met. He sends me money, because he says I deserve to live in luxury or whatever. Apparently he's in love with me too," Alfred said, rolling his eyes.

"But how did-" Arthur started.

"Let me finish. Okay, so one day the Waywards and the Reds sent assassins to kill me at the same time. I was sick of it at that point, so I shot 'em both to disable them and took 'em back to their leader's hideouts. I worked a deal with each of them, and now they both contact me somehow to make sure I'm still following it.

"Ian's a bit crazy though. Unstable, actually. I hate the guy, but he's infatuated with me."

"Why do you hate him?"

"He had sent assassins after me before I went to go talk to him. And plus the guy's just plain aggravating. You can only take so much of him before you wanna shoot him."

"So...you don't hate him because he's gay?" Arthur asked, staring into his mug.

"How could I? I'd be a hypocrite. After all, I'm bi."

There was an awkward pause before Arthur, in a squeaky voice, asked, "You are?"

The blue-eyed man suddenly looked worried, "You didn't know?"

Arthur shook his head slowly before stammering, "N-no, I didn't...Well, I guess I never told you that I was gay, did I?"

"You're-?"

"Yes, I realized in high school."

"Wow, uh, how?"

A sly little smirk appeared on the green-eyed man's face. "I got a crush on this guy, something I'd never felt for girls. I, um, never really gave up on that crush either." His face flushed pink.

"Who was it?"

"Not telling! You'll probably just tease me... Anyway how'd you realize?"

"That I liked girls and boys? Pretty much the same. I had a crush on a guy in high school, but I was still attracted to girls."

"Are you going to tell me your crush?"

"If you ever tell me yours," Alfred replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hey, if I can guess yours, will you tell me if I'm right?"

"Sure," Arthur replied with a shrug, not believing that Alfred could guess that it was actually himself.